Jordanian Carrier Struck by Two Bomb Hoaxes

Two Royal Jordanian planes were victims of bomb hoaxes and forced to make emergency landings late Monday.

Two Royal Jordanian planes were victims of bomb hoaxes and forced to make emergency landings late Monday, Transport Minister Saleh Rsheidat said Tuesday.

"Authorities at the Queen Alia Airport received two false alerts saying that a bomb was on board a Royal Jordanian plane flying to Doha and another on a plane flying to Abu Dhabi," Rsheidat told Petra news agency.

Rsheidat, who is also deputy prime minister, said the plane on the Amman-Abu Dhabi flight was ordered back to Queen Alia Airport, while the second made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.

A search of both planes failed to yield any bombs, and the Abu Dhabi-bound plane was allowed to resume its flight, he said.

Saudi airport sources at Buraida Airport in Kasim, 350 kilometers (200 miles) north of Riyadh, had told AFP overnight Monday that no bomb was found on the plane.

"It was a false alarm. The passengers are now in the airport waiting to take off on the same plane for Doha," the Saudi official said overnight, adding that the Airbus A320 was carrying 83 passengers and crew members -- AMMAN (AFP)